PEDC Newsletter - Spring 2019

ENDRESS+HAUSER BREAKS GROUND ON NEW GULF COAST REGIONAL CAMPUS

Endress+Hauser, a leader in the field of measurement technology for industrial process engineering, broke ground on its new Gulf Coast Regional Campus in Pearland's Lower Kirby District. PEDC assisted with the project and began working with the company on its relocation in early 2018.

The 100,000-square-foot office facility will be located on a 17-acre site at the southeast corner of Beltway 8 and Kirby Drive. It will include an area for calibration and repair, as well as feature office and training space. The new facility will be home to approximately 110 employees when it opens.

The Lower Kirby District consists of 1,200 acres located on the northwestern border of Pearland fronting South Beltway 8. Developing the area into Pearland's most intensive mixed-use district has been a long-standing goal of the community and priority of the Pearland 20/20 community strategic plan.

ENERGY RENTAL SOLUTIONS CELEBRATES GROUNDBREAKING ON NEW HEADQUARTERS FACILITY

Energy Rental Solutions, a Caterpillar dealer dedicated to the specialty rental business, celebrated the groundbreaking of its new headquarters facility in Pearland.

The 40,000 square-foot building will include office and warehouse space and is located on a 12-acre site in the Rice Drier Commerce Park on Rice Drier Road and State Highway 35. The facility will be home to approximately 55 employees, including executive management, sales, operations, administrative, service technicians and warehouse personnel.

PEDC and city officials began working with ERS in 2017 on the project. The site ERS selected is part of the 18-acre Rice Drier Commerce Park, a development located in the area identified as Business Park North in the State Highway 35 Redevelopment Strategy. This strategy was developed to build upon the Pearland 20/20 Strategic Plan suggestions and provide the “big picture” strategic actions that are needed to encourage more investment in the corridor.

KEYSTONE ENGINEERING GROUP TO CONSTRUCT HEADQUARTERS AND MANUFACTURING FACILITY

Keystone Engineering Group, a multi-disciplined engineering consulting firm with over 300 employees and locations in Texas and Louisiana, will be constructing a headquarters and manufacturing facility in Pearland. The company will be building its facility immediately to the west of Kemlon's facility on State Highway 35.

PEDC began working with the company on its relocation in 2014. The 45,000 square-foot facility will include office, manufacturing and warehouse space and will be home to approximately 40 employees.

NEW ENTRY FEATURE UNDERWAY ON BROADWAY NEAR FRIENDSWOOD

PEDC has started construction on the community’s newest entry feature and gateway, which will be located at the eastern border of the City near Friendswood, just east of Bakfish Brewing Company.

The Pearland 20/20 Strategic Plan outlined the need for City gateways to signal a sense of arrival and stronger identity for the community. In 2014, PEDC and community partners completed a City Gateways strategy that developed a conceptual entry monument sign along with identifying potential locations.

Multiple entryway signs and corridor enhancements projects have already been completed on Cullen Parkway, Pearland Parkway, Dixie Farm Road, Kirby Drive, and two more are in progress on State Highway 35 between Beltway 8 and Broadway. The next entryways to be constructed will be along the State Highway 288 corridor, after the completion of the managed toll lanes.

BIZCONNECT HOSTS INDUSTRY APPRECIATION LUNCHEON

PEDC's BizConnect program, established in conjunction with the Pearland Chamber of Commerce, was created to discover and address issues that businesses face and place emphasis on building a stable business environment in the City of Pearland. As part of this year's program, BizConnect hosted an industry appreciation luncheon. Over fifty representatives from fifteen of our local employers were in attendance to hear Conrad Soltero of TAMC TEEX present on implementing Lean initiatives within organizations.

RICE DRIER ROAD CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

Leveraging public and private investment through various means including infrastructure or aesthetic improvements is one of the major priorities of the SH35 Corridor Redevelopment Strategy. The Strategy identified Business Park North, including the Rice Drier/Halik area, as a catalyst opportunity where such investment could be focused.

In 2017, staff completed a preliminary engineering report on Rice Drier and Halik Roads to complete preliminary design on the roadways and improve drainage in the area. PEDC, the City and Orr Commercial entered into a development agreement in 2018, in which Orr Commercial agreed to include the necessary volumes in their detention improvements, and the City agreed to reconstruct Rice Drier Road with PEDC funds when certain milestones are met.

In March 2019, the PEDC Board approved moving forward with the final design of Rice Drier Road and the engineering design is expected to begin this summer.

PEDC RELEASES 2018
ANNUAL REPORT

PEDC released its 2018 annual report, providing a summary of activities the PEDC has accomplished throughout the previous year.

2018 was another year of remarkable economic growth for Pearland. Over the past year, PEDC continued its focus on implementing the Pearland 20/20 Community Strategic Plan, making progress in many of the plan's key initiatives - from economic development marketing to the Lower Kirby District to corridors and beautification.

LATEST NEWS

PEDC President recognized as one of top 50 economic developers in North America

UHCL Pearland facility formally opens to meet growing demand for nurses, health care careers

Pearland Community Development 2nd quarter report highlights growth and projects

Pearland voters OK all 5 city bond propositions

PEDC awards Pearland Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award to LillySpec at the 2019
Rice Business Plan Competition

Houston named a top emerging life sciences cluster

PEARLAND POPULATION UPDATE

According to 2018 US Census population estimates released this month, Pearland is now estimated at 122,149 residents. This is an increase of 2,318 residents compared to last year's estimates.

288 CORRIDOR BEAUTIFICATION EFFORTS CONTINUE

With construction of the managed toll lanes along the 288 corridor nearing completion in both Harris and Brazoria counties, PEDC, the City and Pearland Municipal Management District No. 2 (PMMD2) continue to implement the 288 Corridor Master Improvements Plan.

PEDC has funded aesthetic improvements along the corridor, including enhanced landscaping, lighting, detention ponds with large water fountains, irrigation and gateway signage. In addition, the artistic sculptures (rendering above) were approved and will be placed at key intersections along the corridor. All improvements are scheduled for completion in 2021.

MULTI-USE EVENT CENTER UPDATE

One of the nine key strategies in the Pearland 20/20 Community Strategic Plan is to construct a multi-use events center in Pearland. A feasibility study conducted by PEDC in 2017 determined that an indoor amateur sports facility and a hotel & conference center would be best suited in our market.

PEDC has been continuing to analyze the indoor sports facility’s development potential, issuing a Request for Qualifications seeking submissions from firms to help develop and operate a new indoor sports facility and launching a more in-depth evaluation process.

PEDC worked with Sports Facilities Advisory, LLC (SFA) to develop a detailed facility program plan, which was presented to the PEDC Board at its December 2018 meeting, that includes a construction and start-up cost estimate that is “right-sized” to the market and to Pearland’s budget. The recommended facility would be a 170,000 square-foot facility that includes six basketball and twelve hardwood volleyball courts (cross-lined over basketball courts), indoor turf, a family entertainment/adventure area and flex space. PEDC also worked with SFA to complete an institutional-grade financial forecast for the facility, including detailed revenue and expense breakdown and other details, which was presented to the PEDC Board at its April 2019 meeting.

BROADWAY/FM 518 CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT PLAN

City Council and PEDC's Board of Directors have approved moving forward with the creation of a Broadway Corridor Development Plan. One of the nine key strategies outlined in the Pearland 20/20 Strategic Plan is to optimize the development potential of Pearland’s principal commercial corridors and the creation of a FM 518/Broadway master development plan was the highest ranked priority by the steering committee.

The plan will focus on the 6.2 mile segment of the corridor from SH 288 to SH 35 that the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) is planning to reconstruct and widen. The main emphasis of the plan will be facilitating and planning for the impact of the proposed reconstruction that is expected to begin design in early 2020 once the current environmental study is completed. The timing of this planning effort will provide the important and much needed evaluation of the impacts of the reconstruction, not only from a mobility perspective, but also the impact of the widening on the existing businesses.

288 MANAGED LANES PROJECT UPDATE

Construction continues on the State Highway 288 Managed Lanes Project. With TXDOT's concessionaire constructing the portion from Clear Creek to US 59 and Brazoria County constructing the portion south of Clear Creek, the 29 mile project will address the continued growth that is expected along the State Highway 288 corridor and the resulting increase in congestion, and to address improving access and travel to the TMC and downtown.

Included in the project are direct connects at Beltway 8 and State Highway 288 and to Texas Medical Center and reconstruction of FM 518/SH 288 interchange. The toll lanes are expected to be open to traffic in early 2020.

Pearland Developments: Spring 2019